Pakistan captain Salman Agha acknowledged that poor decision-making under pressure has been the key factor behind Pakistan’s repeated failures at ICC events, following their exit from the T20 World Cup 2026 on Saturday.

In their final Super 8 fixture, Pakistan beat Sri Lanka by five runs but still failed to advance, finishing level on points with New Zealand, who progressed due to a superior net run rate. Despite stunning individual performances, including Sahibzada Farhan’s century and Fakhar Zaman’s 84, Pakistan could not overcome the challenges posed by Dasun Shanaka’s unbeaten 76 and Pavan Rathnayake’s 58 for Sri Lanka.

Speaking post-match, Agha highlighted the team’s struggle under high-pressure scenarios: “Whenever there is pressure, our decision-making is not as good as it should be.” He took responsibility for the team’s shortcomings and emphasized that the coaching staff shares accountability.

This pattern of underperformance at major ICC events has persisted, with Pakistan failing to progress beyond the group stage in the 2025 Champions Trophy and in previous ODI World Cups since 2015. The gap between the side’s potential and execution remains the central challenge for Pakistan cricket.